diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index ea8effa..56d4eb2 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ edition = "2021"
 [dependencies]
 chrono = "0.4.26"
 clap = { version = "4.5.1", features = ["derive"] }
-comrak = "0.18.0"
+comrak = "0.24.1"
 figment = { version = "0.10.10", features = ["env", "serde_json", "json"] }
 regex = "1.8.4"
 serde = { version = "1.0.164", features = ["serde_derive"] }
@@ -16,3 +16,4 @@ serde_json = "1.0.97"
 resolve-path = "0.1.0"
 simple_logger = "4.3.3"
 log = "0.4.21"
+indexmap = "2.2.6"
diff --git a/src/file/mod.rs b/src/file/mod.rs
index 868e23d..b32228a 100644
--- a/src/file/mod.rs
+++ b/src/file/mod.rs
@@ -2,9 +2,12 @@ use crate::todo::{File as TodoFile, Status as TaskStatus};
 use crate::NaiveDate;
 use crate::TaskGroup;
 use chrono::Datelike;
-use comrak::nodes::{AstNode, NodeValue};
-use comrak::parse_document;
-use comrak::{Arena, ComrakExtensionOptions, ComrakOptions, ComrakParseOptions};
+use comrak::nodes::{Ast, AstNode, LineColumn, NodeHeading, NodeValue};
+use comrak::{
+    format_commonmark, parse_document, Arena, ComrakOptions, ExtensionOptions, ParseOptions,
+};
+use indexmap::IndexMap;
+use regex::Regex;
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 use std::fs::{read, File};
 use std::io::Write;
@@ -62,15 +65,15 @@ pub fn load_file(file: &TodoFile) -> String {
 
 /// Parse contents of markdown file with Comrak ( relaxed tasklist matching is enabled)
 pub fn parse_todo_file<'a>(contents: &String, arena: &'a Arena<AstNode<'a>>) -> &'a AstNode<'a> {
+    let mut extension_options = ExtensionOptions::default();
+    extension_options.tasklist = true;
+
+    let mut parse_options = ParseOptions::default();
+    parse_options.relaxed_tasklist_matching = true;
+
     let options = &ComrakOptions {
-        extension: ComrakExtensionOptions {
-            tasklist: true,
-            ..ComrakExtensionOptions::default()
-        },
-        parse: ComrakParseOptions {
-            relaxed_tasklist_matching: true,
-            ..ComrakParseOptions::default()
-        },
+        extension: extension_options,
+        parse: parse_options,
         ..ComrakOptions::default()
     };
     parse_document(arena, contents, options)
@@ -117,10 +120,178 @@ pub fn extract_secitons<'a>(
     groups
 }
 
+fn remove_heading<'a>(node: &'a AstNode<'a>, level: u8) {
+    let mut following = node.following_siblings();
+    let _ = following.next().unwrap();
+    for sib in following {
+        let node_ref = sib.data.borrow();
+        if let NodeValue::Heading(heading) = node_ref.value {
+            if heading.level == level {
+                break;
+            }
+        } else {
+            sib.detach();
+        }
+    }
+    node.detach();
+}
+
+/// recursively removes nodes from List
+fn remove_task_nodes<'a>(root: &'a AstNode<'a>) {
+    for node in root.children() {
+        for child_node in node.children() {
+            remove_task_nodes(child_node)
+        }
+        match node.data.borrow().value {
+            NodeValue::TaskItem(Some(status)) if status == 'x' || status == 'X' => node.detach(),
+            _ => continue,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+fn create_title<'a>(arena: &'a Arena<AstNode<'a>>, date: &str) -> &'a AstNode<'a> {
+    let mut text = String::new();
+    text.push_str("Today's tasks ");
+    text.push_str(date);
+
+    create_heading(arena, 1, &text)
+}
+
+fn create_heading<'a>(arena: &'a Arena<AstNode<'a>>, level: u8, text: &str) -> &'a AstNode<'a> {
+    let heading_node = arena.alloc(AstNode::new(
+        Ast::new(
+            NodeValue::Heading(NodeHeading {
+                level,
+                setext: false,
+            }),
+            LineColumn { line: 0, column: 0 },
+        )
+        .into(),
+    ));
+    let text_node = arena.alloc(AstNode::new(
+        Ast::new(
+            NodeValue::Text(text.to_string()),
+            LineColumn { line: 0, column: 2 },
+        )
+        .into(),
+    ));
+
+    heading_node.append(text_node);
+
+    heading_node
+}
+
+pub fn create_new_doc<'a>(
+    arena: &'a Arena<AstNode<'a>>,
+    new_date: &str,
+    sections: IndexMap<String, Option<Vec<&'a AstNode<'a>>>>,
+) -> &'a AstNode<'a> {
+    let doc = arena.alloc(AstNode::new(
+        Ast::new(NodeValue::Document, LineColumn { line: 0, column: 0 }).into(),
+    ));
+    let title = create_title(&arena, new_date);
+    doc.append(title);
+
+    for (section, value) in sections.iter() {
+        let heading = create_heading(arena, 2, &section);
+        doc.append(heading);
+        match value {
+            Some(nodes) => {
+                for node in nodes.iter() {
+                    doc.append(node);
+                }
+            }
+            _ => (),
+        }
+    }
+    doc
+}
+
+pub fn extract_sections<'a>(
+    root: &'a AstNode<'a>,
+    sections: &Vec<String>,
+) -> IndexMap<String, Option<Vec<&'a AstNode<'a>>>> {
+    let mut section_map: IndexMap<String, Option<Vec<&'a AstNode<'a>>>> = IndexMap::new();
+    sections.iter().for_each(|section| {
+        section_map.insert(section.to_string(), None);
+    });
+
+    for node in root.reverse_children() {
+        let node_ref = node.data.borrow();
+        match node_ref.value {
+            NodeValue::Heading(heading) => {
+                let heading_content_node = if let Some(child) = node.first_child() {
+                    child
+                } else {
+                    continue;
+                };
+
+                let mut heading_content_ref = heading_content_node.data.borrow_mut();
+                if let NodeValue::Text(text) = &mut heading_content_ref.value {
+                    if sections.contains(text) {
+                        let mut content = Vec::new();
+                        let mut following = node.following_siblings();
+                        let _ = following.next().unwrap();
+
+                        for sib in following {
+                            remove_task_nodes(sib);
+                            let node_ref = sib.data.borrow();
+                            if let NodeValue::Heading(inner_heading) = node_ref.value {
+                                if heading.level == inner_heading.level {
+                                    break;
+                                }
+                            } else {
+                                content.push(sib);
+                            }
+                        }
+                        section_map.insert(text.to_string(), Some(content));
+                        remove_heading(node, heading.level);
+                    };
+                }
+            }
+            _ => continue,
+        }
+    }
+
+    section_map
+}
+
+pub fn process_doc_tree<'a>(root: &'a AstNode<'a>, new_date: &str, sections: &Vec<String>) {
+    for node in root.reverse_children() {
+        let node_ref = node.data.borrow();
+        match node_ref.value {
+            NodeValue::Heading(heading) => {
+                let heading_content_node = if let Some(child) = node.first_child() {
+                    child
+                } else {
+                    continue;
+                };
+
+                let mut heading_content_ref = heading_content_node.data.borrow_mut();
+                if let NodeValue::Text(text) = &mut heading_content_ref.value {
+                    let re = Regex::new(r"Today's tasks \d+-\d+-\d+")
+                        .expect("title regex is not parsable");
+                    if matches!(re.find(text), Some(_)) {
+                        text.clear();
+                        text.push_str("Today's tasks ");
+                        text.push_str(new_date);
+                    } else if !sections.contains(text) {
+                        remove_heading(node, heading.level);
+                    };
+                }
+            }
+            NodeValue::List(_list) => remove_task_nodes(node),
+            _ => continue,
+        }
+    }
+    eprintln!("{:#?}", root);
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod test {
     use super::*;
     use crate::todo::{Status, Task};
+    use std::io::BufWriter;
 
     #[test]
     fn test_extract_sections() {
@@ -278,4 +449,91 @@ mod test {
 ";
         assert_eq!(result, expected);
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_node_removal() {
+        let md = "
+# Today's tasks 2024-01-01
+
+## Tasks
+
+- [ ] task 1
+- [X] task 2
+- [x] task 2
+- [>] task 3
+- [!] task 3
+
+## Long Term
+
+- [ ] task 1
+- [X] task 2
+    - [ ] all of these subtasks should be removed
+        - [x] subtasks
+    - [x] sub task to remove
+- [!] task 3
+    - [ ] sub task to keep
+    - [x] sub task to remove
+
+## Todays Notes
+
+- some notes here
+- these can go
+";
+        let new_date = "2024-01-02";
+        let groups = vec![
+            "Tasks".to_string(),
+            "Other".to_string(),
+            "Long Term".to_string(),
+            "Last".to_string(),
+        ];
+        let arena = Arena::new();
+        let mut extension_options = ExtensionOptions::default();
+        extension_options.tasklist = true;
+
+        let mut parse_options = ParseOptions::default();
+        parse_options.relaxed_tasklist_matching = true;
+
+        let options = &ComrakOptions {
+            extension: extension_options,
+            parse: parse_options,
+            ..ComrakOptions::default()
+        };
+
+        let ast = parse_document(&arena, md, options);
+
+        let sections = extract_sections(ast, &groups);
+
+        let new_doc = create_new_doc(&arena, new_date, sections);
+
+        process_doc_tree(ast, new_date, &groups);
+
+        let mut output = BufWriter::new(Vec::new());
+
+        assert!(format_commonmark(new_doc, options, &mut output).is_ok());
+
+        let bytes = output.into_inner().expect("should be a vec");
+        let text = String::from_utf8(bytes).expect("should be convertable to string");
+        assert_eq!(
+            "\
+# Today's tasks 2024-01-02
+
+## Tasks
+
+- [ ] task 1
+- [>] task 3
+- [!] task 3
+
+## Other
+
+## Long Term
+
+- [ ] task 1
+- [!] task 3
+  - [ ] sub task to keep
+
+## Last
+",
+            text
+        );
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 87f57d8..ef48118 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -5,20 +5,23 @@ mod logging;
 mod todo;
 
 use chrono::naive::NaiveDate;
-use chrono::{Local, TimeDelta};
+use chrono::{Datelike, Local, TimeDelta};
 use clap::Parser;
 use cli::Args;
-use comrak::Arena;
+use comrak::{format_commonmark, Arena, ComrakOptions, ExtensionOptions, ParseOptions};
 use config::Config;
 use log;
 use logging::get_logging_level;
 use resolve_path::PathResolveExt;
 use simple_logger::init_with_level;
 use std::fs;
+use std::io::BufWriter;
 use std::path::Path;
 use std::process::Command;
 use todo::{File as TodoFile, TaskGroup};
 
+use crate::file::{create_new_doc, extract_sections, process_doc_tree};
+
 fn main() {
     // setup
     let args = Args::parse();
@@ -121,6 +124,17 @@ fn main() {
     let current_file = match latest_file {
         // copy old file if the user specifies today's notes but it does not exist
         Some(todo_file) if todo_file.date < today && args.previous == 0 => {
+            let mut extension_options = ExtensionOptions::default();
+            extension_options.tasklist = true;
+
+            let mut parse_options = ParseOptions::default();
+            parse_options.relaxed_tasklist_matching = true;
+
+            let options = &ComrakOptions {
+                extension: extension_options,
+                parse: parse_options,
+                ..ComrakOptions::default()
+            };
             let sections = &cfg.sections;
             log::info!("looking for sections: {:?}", sections);
             let arena = Arena::new();
@@ -131,29 +145,28 @@ fn main() {
                     "loading and parsing file: {}",
                     todo_file.file.to_string_lossy()
                 );
+
                 let contents = file::load_file(&todo_file);
-                let root = file::parse_todo_file(&contents, &arena);
+                let root = comrak::parse_document(&arena, &contents, options);
                 root
             };
             log::trace!("file loaded");
-            // extract sections specified in config
-            let groups = file::extract_secitons(root, sections);
-            log::trace!("sections extracted");
-            // create new sections and generate empty sections for any that are missing
-            let level = groups.values().map(|group| group.level).min().unwrap_or(2);
-            let data = sections
-                .iter()
-                .map(|section| match groups.get(section) {
-                    Some(group) => group.clone(),
-                    None => TaskGroup::empty(section.to_string(), level),
-                })
-                .collect();
+
+            let sect = extract_sections(root, &sections);
+            let date = format!("{}-{:02}-{:02}", today.year(), today.month(), today.day());
 
             // generate string for new file and write to filesystem
-            let content = file::generate_file_content(&data, &today);
+            let new_doc = file::create_new_doc(&arena, &date, sect);
+
+            process_doc_tree(root, &date, &sections);
+
+            let mut new_content = BufWriter::new(Vec::new());
+            format_commonmark(new_doc, options, &mut new_content);
+            let text = String::from_utf8(new_content.into_inner().expect(""));
+
             let file_path = file::get_filepath(&data_dir, &today);
             log::info!("writing to file: {}", file_path.to_string_lossy());
-            file::write_file(&file_path, &content);
+            file::write_file(&file_path, &text.expect(""));
             // return file name
             file_path
         }